Packaging and dispensing transparent cellulose strip material



Ma 24, was. K. R. HINES. JR mmm PACKAGING AND DISPENSING TRANSPARENT CELLULOSE STRIP MATERIAL Filed June 2, 1937 I 1e 1/ la Patented May 24, 1938 UNITED STATES 2,ll8,79l-

PATENT OFFICE PACKAGING AND DISPENSING TRANSPAR- ENT CELLULOSE STRIP MATERIAL Application June 2, 1937, Serial No. 146,001

3 Claims.

My present invention relates to preparing and packaging strip material in roll form and to dispensing the material from such roll. More particularly it aims to provide a more convenient and economical form of supply as well as an attractive and otherwise improved package, of relatively inexpensive character, for distributing and presenting for use transparent cellulose bands and strips, generally for decorative purposes at the various holiday seasons. I

In recent years jobbers, retailers and others in numerous trades have adopted the practice of applying to the usual packages of the particular goods a special dress for the various holiday seasons, particularly that of the Christmas holidays.

One such procedure is to place appropriately decorative transparent cellulose bands around the packages. Such bands have heretofore been supplied in stacks or piles of the separate strips of 20 the cellulose material, of the desired width and length, for example 3x 18 inches, 3x22 inches and other sizes, and have come to be known to the trade as holiday or Christmas bands.

, It is a main object of my invention to supply 25 such holiday or Christmas bands in improved form, namely in rolls, such rolls being comprised in a dispenser package from which the material may readily be withdrawn to the exact length required for any particular case, instead of provid- 30 ing pre-cut stock sizes which frequently may be longer than necessary. Also, in accordance with the invention, the transparent cellulose material, by reason of the form of supply in rolls of continuous lengths, is additionally made available for 35 store and other decorations and for use on large objects for which holiday bands have not previously been available.

In the drawing, illustrating by way of example certain embodiments of the invention, Fig. 1 is a to perspective view of a package in accordance with one form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the package of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section through the same package;

Fig. 4 illustrates separately an element of the roll supporting means;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged partial section through the upper front portion of the cover; and i 50 Fig. 6 shows a length of the strip material comprised in the package.

Referring more particularly to the drawing,

a length of the transparent cellulose strip material lll with which the invention is concerned is 55 shown separately in Fig. 6fa leading portion of designs may be continuous throughout the entire length of the material or they may be socalled spot or repeat designs disposed along the material at intervals conformingto a particular desired length of holiday band. In either case,

- and especially with such repeat designs, I desir- 15 ably print at each given length or between each repeat a mark such'as indicated at I2 to serve as a guide in severing the bands in uniform lengths.

A continuous length of the transparent cellulose material, printed as described, or otherwise, is wound into a roll such as represented at It in Figs. 2 and 3. For example, a roll suitable to the purposes of the invention may contain say 2250 feet of 3" band material, equivalent to 1500 bands of 18" length or to 1230 bands of 22" 25 size. Such roll weighs approximately 3% to 4 pounds, depending somewhat on the character of the cellulose material and the total printed area.

In order to provide for suspending the supply roll in a freely rotatable manner in the package, so as to unwind readily when drawn upon, the material is wound on a hard fibrous or other hollow core I6 of relatively large interior diameter,

preferably of at least 2 to 3 inches for a roll of a total length and weight as above'referred to. With the use of a core of approximately 3" inside diameter and a wall of about thickness a 2250 foot roll has an outside diameter of about 6 to 7 inches, a convenient size for the present 40 purposes.

The roll dispensing package of Figs. 1 to 5 comprises a preformed container or box of cardboard or other preferably fibrous material which, by reason of the roll supporting means to be described, need not be of greater thickness or rigidity than that for example of a usual shoe box. The container includes vertical side Walls l8, l9 of a width and height somewhat greater than the outside diameter of a roll M of maximum initial size for the particular package',-; and vertical end walls 20, M of the same height as the side walls and a width sufiiciently exceeding that of the roll It, for example of 3" strip material, to allow space at the sides of the roll for the supporting elements. In addition to the enclosing vertical walls this main container or receiving portion of the package has a closed bottom wall 22.

The described container is adapted to receive, removably, a supply roll and its suspending means. The latter in this instance comprises a pairof side supports or carrier elements 24, 26, Fig. 3, one of which is seen separately in Fig. 4.

Said elements are formed of paperboard or like sheet material and are relatively rigid, as compared for example with the container itself, and of suflicient strength to support the weight of a roll such as referred to. They are of a. size and shape conforming to the side and end walls of the container, so as to be receivable in upright position flatwise against the side walls and with a. fairly snug fit between the end walls. At one face of each-of the carriers 24, 26 there is centrally mounted a circular hub or bearing 28, 30 respectively. These may be formed of wood and are securely amxed to the carriers as by a plurality of pins or nails 3| and by gluing if desired. The hubs 28, 30 are of a. diameter adapting them for supporting reception within the roll core l6 and preferably are tapered away from the carriers, as indicated at 32, 34 to assist in automatically centering the roll and to reduce bearing surfaces and the frictional resistance to turning of .the roll, in unwinding, it being noted in this connection that the core I 6, as seen in Fig, 3, may

be of slightly less axial extent than the width of the roll.

In preparing the package a roll of the transparent cellulose material is wound on its core, and the carriers 24, 26 placed flatwise against the side faces of the roll, with their hubs inserted in the ends of the core. The unit thus'assembled is then positioned in the container, by relative sliding of the two.

The dispensing container is completed by a cover 36 of the inverted tray type, including a top or horizontal wall 31, vertical side walls or flanges 38, 39, a front end wall or flange 40 and rear wall 4|. At a position spaced substantially from its front end 40 the cover is provided with a. feed slot or dispensing aperture 42 for the material. ll, through which its leading end may be inserted and the desired length drawn off from the roll. Forwardly of the feed slot a strip severing element is provided, comprising in this instance a thin metal strip 44 having a serrated cutting or tear-01f edge 45.

As seen in Fig. 1 and in detail in Fig. 5 the cutter 44 is secured fiatwise across the upper edge of the front wall 40 of the cover, as by punching or stamping small circular or other portions of the metal inwardly and spreading them into holding relation with the cover material, as indicated at 46 in Fig. 5. It will be noted that the inset pieces or nibs 4B are of less inward,

extent than the thickness of the cover material, leaving a smooth inner surface for the latter. The lower edge of'the cutter 44 may be scalloped or otherwise decoratively formed, as at 41, Fig. 1, in which figure the cutter is viewed through the transparent cellulose material ID. The serrated edge 45 of the cutter is arranged to project but slightly above the plane of the cover top wall, hence is readily avoided in the handling of the package but is instantly available for severing a length of the material drawn off from the roll.

Since the cutter 44 and the feed-slot 42 are spaced from each other, by approximately 2 inches in the illustrated example, it will be seen that a projecting end of the material of substantially that length will be left available after tearing off a previous length, so that such projecting end may readily be grasped and drawn upon. Any likelihood of the remaining end being withdrawn into the container by reverse turning of the roll is accordingly reduced to a minimum.

Generally I prefer to wind the material with the printed face in, for protective purposes. It is also desirable that as dispensed the printed face be uppermost. Accordingly such printed-side-in roll is placed in position in the package to unwind in the counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2, the strip being led upwardly at the front of the roll and back and out through the feed slot 42, as indicated by the full line at the upper right portion of Fig. 2. By'this arrangement it will be noted that the printed face of the strip is out of contact with the front edge of the feed slot 42 as the material is drawn up and forwardly from the container, thus reducing any chance of scratching or marring the decorative printing in dispensing the strip. However, should it be desired to wind the roll with the printed face outermost, and again to have it feed forwardly with the printed face up, it is but necessary to insert the roll and its supports so that the roll will unwind in the clockwise direction, Fig. 2, the

strip then leading upwardly and forwardly from the rear of the roll, as indicated by the dotted line at the upper central portion of Fig. 2.

From the foregoing it will be understood that my invention presents decorative transparent cellulose strip material in novel form and packaged for convenient dispensing for use. The package comprises a roll of the decorative strip material having either a continuous design or a repeating or spot design, said roll being useful as a continuous band for. decorative purposes and particularly being adapted for separation into relatively short lengths to serve as so-called holiday bands for applying a holiday dress to packages of various types, and in this latter connection the transparent material desirably is provided with uniformly spaced indicia as an aid to severing the continuous strip into such holiday bands. The roll of the transparent cellulose material is suspended in the container or box so that it will unwind freely, and so as to be available through a dispensing aperture or apertures, for severance by conveniently located means such as herein illustrated and described. The novel form of supply and dispensing package frequently makes it possible for the customer to use a smaller size hand than if the latter were purchased in-stock size sheets. The dispensing container makes it possible to use but a few bands at a given time, without having to rewrap the' supply as has heretofore been necessary in the case of stock size bands in stacked sheet form. Moreover, the package protects the roll of transparent cellulose in shipment. In many cases the in sheet form, and also by reason of the simple and eflicient construction of the protective and dispensing container employed in combination with the supply roll. a 1

My invention is not limited to the particular embodiments herein illustrated and described, its scope being set out in the following claims:

1. A combined package and dispenser for transparent cellulose bands in roll form, comprising, in combination, a substantially rectangular container of cardboard material, said container having enclosing side and end walls and a bottom wall, a pair of separate cardboard supports of rectangular form and proportioned for reception in the container fiatwise against its side walls, a roll of transparent cellulose band material wound on a hollow cylindrical core, a hub secured at the inner face of each of said cardboard supports substantially centrally thereof and so as to stand in axial alignment, said hubs having a diameter conforming to that of the roll core, whereby the hubs and supports are adapted to receive and rotatably support the band roll between them, a cover of inverted tray form for the container, including a top wall and side and end flanges. a slot formation in the top wall of the cover transversely thereof and proportioned for outward passage of the band material, and a cutterstrip secured flatwise against one end flange of the cover, with its cutting edge projecting slightly above the plane of the outer face of the cover top wall.

2. A combined package and dispenser for transparent cellulose bands in roll form, comprising, in combination, a substantially rectan' gular container of cardboard material, said container having opposed side walls and enclosing cross walls peripheral of'and interconnecting the side walls, one of said cross walls being formed as an openable cover element for the container, a pair of separate supports of rectangular form proportioned for reception in the container flatwise against its side walls and so as to be supported on an underlying cross wall, a roll of transparent cellulose band material wound on a hollow cylindrical core, a hub secured at the inner face of each of said supports substantially centrally thereof and so as to stand in axial alignment, said hubs having a diameter conforming to that of the roll core, whereby the hubs and supports are adapted to receive and rotatably support the band roll between them,

a feed slot formation in one of the cross walls transversely thereof and proportioned for outward passage of the band material, and cutter means fixed on the container in substantial parallelism with the roll axis and positioned for severing into desired lengths the band material issued through said slot formation.

' 3. A combined package and dispenser for transparent cellulose bands in roll form, comprising, in combination, a substantially rectangular container of cardboard material, said container having opposed side walls and enclosing cross walls peripheral of and interconnecting the side walls. one of said cross walls being formed as an ,openable cover element, for the container,

a pair of separate supports of rectangular form proportioned for. reception in the container flatwise against its side walls and so as to be supported on an underlying cross wall, a roll of transparent cellulose band material wound on a hollow cylindrical core, a hub secured at the inner face of each of said supports substantially centrally thereof and so as to stand in axial alignment, said hubs having a diameter conforming to that of the roll core, whereby the hubs and supports are adapted to receive and. rotatably support the band roll between them, a feed slot formation in one of the cross walls transversely thereof and proportioned for outward passage of the band material, cutter means fixed on the container in substantial parallelism with the roll axis and positioned for severing into desired lengths the band material issued through said -s1ot formation, and readily visible indicia means on the transparent cellulose band material at spaced points, along it to identify points for severance of the drafted material into desired lengths by said cutter means.

KARI.- R. HINES, JR. 

